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Easy routines that help autistic kids stay organized (and make daily life smoother for the whole family!) Autism-Friendly Home Organization Strategies for Overwhelmed Parents Part 2 #149

• Caroline Thor - Professional Organizer - KonMari® Consultant

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Autism-Friendly Home Organization Strategies for Overwhelmed Parents – World Autism Acceptance Month 2025

If your mornings feel chaotic, transitions are a daily battle, or your autistic child struggles with unexpected changes — you are not alone. And the good news? You can create gentle, flexible routines that actually support your child and reduce your own stress.

In this episode, we’re talking all about routines and predictability — why they’re so important for autistic children, and how to build them in ways that are realistic, customizable, and actually work in real life (not just in theory).

I share what I’ve learned as a mum of a child with autism and PDA, and offer practical strategies to help your family feel calmer, more prepared, and less reactive — even when life gets unpredictable.

You’ll learn:

  • Why routines offer emotional security and reduce anxiety for autistic kids
  • How to create effective morning, bedtime, and mealtime routines that are actually doable
  • What to do if rigid schedules or timers trigger your child (especially with PDA)
  • Visual tools and gentle language shifts that help children feel in control
  • The power of previewing transitions and using “first, then” prompts
  • Why consistency matters more than perfection — especially when days don’t go to plan

We also talk about how organization isn’t just about your physical space — it’s about managing energy, building emotional safety, and reducing the pressure on you as a parent.

Key message: When your routines work for your child and your life, everyone feels calmer — and that’s the foundation of a peaceful home.

Mentioned in this episode:
🎁 Download my free guide: 15 Minute Declutter Reset for Moms of Neurodivergent Kids – designed to help you reduce clutter and create calm, 15 minutes at a time.

In tomorrow’s episode, we’ll go deeper into transitions — and how to support your child through both everyday shifts and big life changes.

I would LOVE to hear from you. Text Message me here.

Thanks for listening! For more organizational motivation, support and free resources:
Join my online membership Clutter Free Collective
Join my podcast Facebook group Living Clutter Free Forever Podcast: KonMari® Inspired Organizing | Facebook
Visit my website www.caroline-thor.com
Come and say 'hi' on Instagram @caro.thor
Follow me on Facebook @carolineorganizer

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Autism Friendly Home Organization Strategies for Overwhelmed Parents a special mini -series with me, caroline, for World Autism Acceptance Month in 2025. This year's theme for World Autism Month is Celebrate Differences, and I could not love that more. I'm a mum of a child with autism and PDA, so I know firsthand how unpredictable life can feel. Flexibility isn't just helpful in my world, it's essential, and while our home is far from perfect, having it organized in a way that supports us has made all the difference. I created this series to share practical, realistic strategies that help you create a calm, clutter-free environment, one that works for your child, your needs and your energy. Even if you're not raising an autistic child, these tips can help any family, because building a home that supports your real life and celebrates what makes you unique benefits everyone. Let's get into it.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to day two of this mini-series in celebration of World Autism Acceptance Month, and today we're talking routines and predictability why they matter and how to make them work. So why routines? Routines? For many autistic children, basically equal security, and I know from my own experience of living with an autistic child that, for them, knowing exactly how the day is going to go, knowing that when they get to the front door to put their shoes on, that they'll be able to find them, that they know where their coat is, that when it's dinner time they know where to go and get their plate from and their cutlery. All these sort of things are important to help their day stay calm and for them to feel like they're within a safe environment. So the focus for today's episode is to help you create simple, effective routines that are going to reduce anxiety and support independence in your child. You will know if you have a child, whether it's a child with autism or any child.

Speaker 1:

For many children, change equals stress. So routines are going to help regulate emotions and expectations, and having a predictable environment means less anxiety and fewer meltdowns. We've all had that situation where we've announced it's time to leave that home, to go to school or wherever we happen to be going, and we get to the front of the house and we go to get the shoes on and the shoes aren't there or the coat's not there, and it automatically creates anxiety in your child and that, in turn, causes you to become anxious, because you know that if this doesn't get dealt with properly and in a calm way and you can't find the shoes quickly, there is potentially going to be a meltdown, and it's going to be a meltdown and it's going to be hard to get your child out of the house then and basically everything starts to unravel before your very eyes. This has happened to me on so many occasions in the past. It still happens, even today, if I haven't gone through my little routine that I have beforehand to make sure everything's set up and ready so we can just leave the house calmly. And I'm trying to get a therapy dog out of the house at the same time. So that means supporting my child with putting the leash on the dog and the harness and all this sort of stuff. So for me now it's like doubly important that these sort of transitions go smoothly.

Speaker 1:

So how do you build an effective routine? First of all, start small, pick one routine and focus on that first. Don't try and change every routine for every part of the day all at once and become all efficient and effective. You are going to cause chaos in your child's brain. So start small, one routine, focus on it first. It could be bedtime, it could be mornings, it could be meal times, it could be, if you've got a child of school age transitioning into doing homework, that sort of thing. You can use visual schedules to help your child. That could be picture charts, if you've got a younger child, or written lists or flow charts or digital planners or Alexa reminders Whatever you find works best for your child.

Speaker 1:

And it is a case of trial and error. Over the years I have tried things with my son and they have failed miserably. So I've then tried something else that hasn't worked brilliantly. So I've tried something else and eventually we found the thing that works for him and I would imagine as he gets older, we will have to pivot and change because he will grow out of wanting to use the thing that we're currently using at the moment. So really try to be flexible and keep testing things. Don't try something and it doesn't work and you think, oh well, these schedules don't work for us. Perhaps you need to find a different way of doing it for your child. Perhaps it doesn't need to be quite so rigid. So with my child with PDA, having a really rigid visual schedule is not going to help them at all. For me, we've had to move to me making suggestions that this is what could be going to be happening next and therefore we have practiced these morning routines and it now works brilliantly. But it was a real case of trial and error and really tuning into what was triggering him and noticing when I said things that didn't trigger him and trying to make sure that I changed the language I was using and all this sort of stuff. So for those of you who have an autistic child, you know how complicated it can be and you just have to be flexible and roll with it and don't give up. You just keep trying different ways of doing it until you find what works for you.

Speaker 1:

And I would also say consistency over perfection. I hate perfection. I think anyone who is striving for perfection is heading for a fall. Consistency is much more important. Life happens and that's okay. If you've tried it and it didn't work on that day, fine, try it again the next day. Maybe it will, maybe it won't, but always being consistent means your child will know what to expect and that helps them because you're creating a routine with your consistency.

Speaker 1:

Now I've just mentioned transitions and unexpected changes. Try to preview changes in advance. Talk to them through social stories. If you have a child, that works okay with timers. That does not work for my child at all Countdowns don't either, but for lots of kids they do these timers that count backwards so that you can actually see the time disappearing Time timers they're really great for some kids. So try to preview changes in advance so that they aren't suddenly sprung on. This is what's happening. Give them a bit of space beforehand so that they know that this is what is coming.

Speaker 1:

Use first, then language First, we brush our teeth, then we read a book. That works very well for a lot of kids. Doesn't work for my child with PDA. For me it would be. I've got your toothbrush ready. If you wanted to brush your teeth, you can. And if you want me to read you a book, let me know. And you have to work out what language works for your child and then have a backup plan, create a calm down strategy for when changes happen and your child does not react well to them.

Speaker 1:

Okay, so my takeaway from today's episode simple routines are going to help reduce stress for everyone, and and when I say everyone, really for you mums out there. It helps reduce stress for you too. And that is what, for me, home organisation is all about, because when mum is calm, it's going to help you deal better with your kids, and then they will be calmer too. If you know that your life would be a lot easier if some key areas of your home were decluttered easier if some key areas of your home were decluttered, organized and you had systems in place, then I have something that can really help you.

Speaker 1:

You can go to the show notes and you can grab my free guide a 15-minute declutter reset for mums of neurodivergent kids. It will take you step by step on how to create quick wins that reduce clutter and create calm in your home. I hope you find it super helpful. Tomorrow we're going to be looking at tackling transitions. I hope you'll join me for that. Until next time, if you've enjoyed this episode, please send the link to a friend you know would appreciate it, subscribe and leave a review. I look forward to bringing you more organising tips next time, but if you can't wait until then, you can go to my website or find me on Instagram, at carothor, or on Facebook at Caroline Organiser. Thanks for listening and I look forward to guiding you on your journey to find your clutter free ever after.